


A Match Made in Hell

by Evil_Panda



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Break Up, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, Mental Breakdown, Minor Character Death, Self-Sacrifice, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:53:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24697882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Panda/pseuds/Evil_Panda
Summary: Sometimes, the past is unbearable. Wrong choices lead to wrong paths that only pain can cause. Vesper made miserable choices that not only affected her own life but that of many others. Especially Snape's life. A childhood friendship that has been destroyed, comes to the surface again to fight demons much stronger than our characters. What is it that fate allowed to happen then, just to fix it now? Love does not come easily to some people. Especially when it comes at a heavy price.
Relationships: Lucius Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s), Tom Riddle | Voldemort/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. Unexpected Guest

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!! This is a story I've been trying to write for several years now. It is not complete yet but with your help, I'll finish it soon :-))) English is not my mother language so I'm sorry in advance if you find any mistakes! Enjoy the story and let me know if you like it!

When Vesper set foot in Hogwarts' yard, the night had already covered the castle with its impenetrable veil. You could feel the strong spells that protected the castle from prying eyes and deceitful intruders. A sense of nostalgia spread through Vesper's heart as he watched the school. Nostalgia mixed with remorse and enough pain. The silence was deafening as all the students had already entered the Great Hall. However, Vesper did not feel any peace. He wondered why Dumbledore insisted on bringing her to school to teach. For more than six months he visited her every day at her home in London to make it happen. It was so annoying but eventually she aggreed to come as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. 

Vesper believed that by hidding in Muggle's world whould be a better solution to protect herself from Dark Lord's rebirth but she was utterly mistaken. Dumbledore was a wise man. He offered her an even better solution to her problem. Hogwarts was a fortress. The Dark Lord should not find her. 

The story that connected Vesper with Dumbledore went far back. Specifically, on the day that Voldemort lost the battle with Harry Potter. He saw the remorse in her eyes and soul and she has been under his protection ever since. Until the day Voldemort was born again and all the protection around Vesper cracked like a sensitive glass.

A cold breeze blew hard on her black cloak and Vesper tightened it around her neck. Her long, white hair was covered with the hood of the cape so as not to provoke comments. She knew very well that her appearance was always controversial, with her silvery white hair, almost golden eyes, dark black eyebrows and full lips. Black long nails adorned her fingers along with several silver rings in various designs. Her slim figure sometimes looked cachectic. Like a girl who hated food. She was not even forty years old, but from a very early age she felt older. Many people who had met her said that she never smiled, but that was a wrong description.

But how many people can know your past? Almost no one. Vesper took the road to the inside of the castle, erasing nostalgic thoughts that had flooded her mind. She knew all the paths of the castle very well, so her steps were calculated. A few minutes later he passed through the back room of the Great Hall, opened the wooden door and came out right in front of the main table of the school staff.

Her hooded figure slipped through the seats and sat on the one at the far end of the table. Turning her head slowly she observed the teachers who had already been sitting on the table. Many of them were familiar to Vesper for they had been teaching her in her school years in Hogwarts. Others were foreign. When she lost her interest for the teachers she fixed her attention beyond the table, to the rest of the Great Hall. It was full of students' voices and laughs. The poltergeists gently slid between the tables, talking to the students and cracking jokes. The Slytherin table was quiet as ever, but the same could not be said for the Gryffindor table. However, as soon as the Headmaster made his appearance, taking the place on the pitch, everyone stopped talking. Vesper observed the old wizzard for a couple of seconds. He definitely seemed more tired than the last time she saw him. 

"My warm welcome to everyone", he said in his majestic voice echoing on the walls of the big hall. He smiled over his multifocal glasses. "Let me introduce you to the newest member of our teachers. Her name is Vesper Mallory", he continued and stretched out his hand pointing to the hooded yet elegant presence at the end of the table. How could he know that she was right there?! That man was so annoying sometimes. "Would you like to say a few words, dear?" 

Vesper felt like all the eyes of the Great Hall had turned to her. _Shit_ , she thought to herself. Dumbledore never addressed his teachers. Why now?! Her golden eyes fixated on him rather angrily. Although she nodded ever so softly and rose from her position gently. She walked up to the pitch slowly, hearing clearly the noise of her cloak dragging behind her. She lifted her hands and removed the hood with slow movements, causing every single one in the Great Hall to gasp. The silvery white locks of her hair fell on her shoulders and cascaded down to her waist, leaving everybody speechless. Standing besided Dumbledore, she scrutinized the Hall like a hungry hawk. Students were looking at her almost terrified. 

"Good evening students", she spoke in a monotonous voice. "As the Headmaster previously said, my name is Vesper Mallory and I belong to the Slytherin House. I'm a pure blood witch and I have to say that up to fourteen generations ago, all my ancestors belonged to Slytherin House", she paused for a moment, glancing over the Slytherin Table. The students seemed rather pleased by her words. "I am here to teach you Defence Against the Darks Arts because I know the subject quiet well. I used to be a Deatheater", she declared with steady voice. Frightened whispers filled the room and most students seemed terrified. Dumbledore coughed ever so softly, probably to remind her of her position. She didn't even bother to look at his direction. She only drunk in the students' reaction. It was amazing how two seemingly harmless words could cause such terror. She rose her hands to shut them and she immediately succeeded it. "Hush now. I'm not here to kill you, but to prevent you from getting killed."

"Thank you professor Mallory", the Headmaster hustened to interfere but Vesper cut him off.

"One more thing", she shook her index finger to the students. "Never interrupt me while I'm speaking. Never laugh during my class. Never mistaken me for a good person. I am not. Thank you all."

"We... we thank you, professor Mallory", Dumbledore stuttered as Vesper made her way back to the table. "Let the feast begin!", he announced and all the tables filled with food.

**_Later that night ~~~_** ** _Dumbledore's Office_**

Just after the end of the dinner, the students were brought to their dormitories and Mallory was already in the Headmaster's office as he had asked her before. The Headmaster was sitting behind his desk, with a papyrus in his hands and his gaze fixed on her. Vesper had already taken her seat in one of the two chairs in front of his office, her hands crossed on her chest. The ambience of the room was the same as she remembered it. Quiet, smelling of wood and leather and cozy.

"I know what you're going to ask me, Albus...", she softly spoke, exhaling some air.

He smiled faintly. "Allow me to think that you don't."

"I'm listening then...", her golden eyes fixated on him once again. She had removed her cloak already, revealing a dark blue long dress with a black corset around her waist. Her hair was a bit messy cause of the hood but she didn't really mind. 

"Well...", he sighed. "Times are really difficult and you know that better than anyone. Voldemort is alive and you are in serious danger, Vesper. I can not risk the safety of the students for no reason. So I suggest that your lesson be in co-operation with the Potions course."

She eyed him suspiciously. "That doesn't make any sense, Albus. You insisted on bringing me here for my safety and now you tell me that you are worried about the students' safety? Then why did you bring me here?"

Dumbledore placed the papyrus on his desk and held his hand above it, looking at her over his glasses. "I can not speak of that matter at the moment."

She rose one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Seriously, now?"

He just nodded softly. "Patience, my dear. The most powerful weapon."

She supressed the urge to roll her eyes at him and she just shrugged. "Alright. Let's say that I accept your proposition and keep my lessons in co-operation with Potions. Who would be the other teacher?"

Dumbledore gave a lopsided grin at her. "I'm afraid you don't have the luxury to deny my proposition, Vesper."

"You haven't answer my question, Albus."

"Severus Tobias Snape."

Vesper felt like she had been hit by a lightning bolt. _Severus Tobias Snape, for real!_ Karma is a bitch, after all. She thought that she would never meet him again. And now she was forced to see him every day?! That was absured! "Albus, you can't be serious! The man hates my guts! You know what happened in the past!"

"I'm perfectly aware, dearest", he said calmly. "I also know very well that you are responsible for the hatred he felt for you."

 _Yes, thank you Albus, about that_. He had a point there, but Vesper didn't even want to think about what had happened. The truth was that she had been treated him in the worst possible way. But she was calm about never seeing him again. Or so she thought.

"Severus Snape can help you protect the students in case of emergency", he explained.

She huffed. "No, this is not the reason you want him in my lessons. You don't trust me, Albus. You can say it. I will always be a Deatheater in your eyes!"

"Am I not the one who saved you from the Deatheaters?", he let out a tired breath. "Am I not the one who welcomed you back in Hogwarts when you didn't have where else to hide?"

"You were the one who brought me back in Hogwarts, Albus! Listen to yourself! You make it sound like I begged you to accept me back in here", she almost growled at him. 

"Allow me to quote your words", she crossed his arms before his chest. " _I need to stay away from Voldemort, Albus. It is a matter of life and death. I need a plan._ "

She looked away. Yes, those were her words. She rolled her eyes to herself. Damn it. He was right in all aspects. But his plan would surely end up as a failure. Deep down she knew it. "Yes, but I am not allowed to step a foot outside the castle and believe me I do understand that", she shook her head. "Only if Bellatrix knew how addicted was Voldemort with me..."

"My dear Vesper...", he smirked slyly at her. "That is why I want Severus Snape with you. They are after you and if Voldemort finds out that you are here, sharing the same roof with Harry Potter, he will do anything to penetrate into the castle."

"Why him?", she shrugged. "Why not Minerva?"

"I trust him more than Minerva", he responded casually. "He's like a son to me."

Vesper was about to say something when someone knocked on the door and her thoughts slowly faded.

"Come on in", Albus fixated his attention to the door.

A fine, male figure wrapped in black came into the office with quick moves. You could not easily recognize the face, but Vesper knew that this man was familiar to her. She stood up from her chair as the figure approached the desk. As the hood fell on the back of the man, Vesper's speculations were confirmed. He was Severus Snape. His black, like coal, eyes were still the same after all those years, just as his hair, like ebony, fell on his shoulders. The posture of his body, still hard and rigid as always.

"Good evening", he said, voice like velvet. _As always._

Her golden eyes traced his figure slowly, observing him. His black eyes were cold. So cold that even the sharpest piece of ice seemed like a childish toy in comparison to them. The tension in the air between them was like a wave of lethal electricity. His facial features hardened as long as she remained silent. A small part of her was dipped in regret but a huge part of her radiated discomfort. "We meet again", she finally found the words. 

"Unfortunately, yes", he pressed his lips together in a thin line. Albus seemed like he was having fun, observing their hateful exchange of words. "I thought you were dead, Mallory."

She glared at him. "Oh, you would want that, right? I'm sorry to disappoint you, Snape, but I'm very much alive."

"Are you certain?", he rose an eyebrow, mockingly, but before Vesper could throw a poisonous comment at him, he turned his attention back to the Headmaster. "I need to talk to you. Alone."

"Just a moment", Albus took the papyrus he previously placed on his office and handed it to Vesper. "This is your schedule. We will discuss it later, my dear. Now, if you'll excuse us..."

She nodded and threw a glare at Severus before she made her way out of the office. Descending the stairs, she let out a breath she didn't know was holding. The year approaching would definitely be a deadly one. Once she stepped out of the gargoyle at the entrance of Dumbledore's office, she looked at her schedule. Oh, shit. Her first class would be with the Gryffindors. The senior year. _Oh, perfect_ , she thought. How she adored that House.


	2. Haunted Past

The next morning found Vesper awake, tired and emotionally exhausted. She had spent the whole first night in the castle inside her new office on the second floor, right next to the first floor staircase. The office was simply decorated, something Vesper would soon change. It was very bright for her taste. The office was spacious and on the back side led to her private apartments. A bedroom, a small bathroom and a room that contained a kitchen and living room together.

As soon as the first rays of the sun washed over her room, she got up and with a gentle movement of her wand began the changes in the decoration. The beige stone walls were turned into dark gray. Heavy, black curtains covered the large windows and a gray carpet covered the entire floor. Dark green sheets covered the bed and a flag with Slytherin's crest hung just above the living room fireplace. A large mirror was placed in one corner of the living room and a huge library in the opposite corner. Vesper then opened up one of her suitcases and using non-verbal magic made the books fly to the library. She then put all her clothes in the wardrobe and made the suitcases vanish. She kept her last suitcase hidden under her bed. It was sealed with blood magic cause no one would suppose to open it. 

Looking at the time, she realised that the breakfast time had passed and she felt particularly happy about that. She had no appetite to eat or be with any other teacher at the moment. Her first class was supposed to start in one hour, so she flicked her wand and her clothes vanished. After she took an extremely hot shower she put on a long, chiffon black dress with a corset around her torso and threw her black robes around her shoulders. With another flick of her wand make-up covered her entire face with thic black eye-liner around her eyes and deep red lipstick. The soft curls of her pure white hair cascaded down her waist softly. Once she was fully ready she grabbed some books and made her way out of her rooms. 

The castle was buzzing with noise coming from students heading to their classrooms. Many of the students looked at her curiously but their eyes, in addition to surprise, also hid fear. She, ignoring them, went up the stairs to the third floor and headed to Classroom 3C, which was located off of the Serpentine Corridor. When she reached the classroom, she entered and saw that non of the students were there. It was still early though. Looking around she nostalgically realised that the classroom had remained the same, just as she remembered it. An iron chandelier hung from the ceiling, as well as a dragon's skeleton. On one end of the classroom stood a projector that was activated by magic. There was also a blackboard at the front of the classroom. Several desks and tables could be found in the classroom as well as some sets of large windows. Vesper walked to the main desk and placed her books in its surface. She sat on the chair and let out a long breath. Her long, black nails were scratching the wooden surface of the desk softly. A few minutes later the door opened with force and students started entering the classroom, laughing and shouting but as long as they spotted her they shut their mouths at once. She observed the students with an evil smirk painted on her face. The crest which was pinned on their robes could make her vomit. How she truly despised Gryffindor House! 

She leaned back to her chair and when all of them took their seats, she finally spoke. "Good morning", she said, voice stone cold with no smile. "You know the rules. Don't make me repeat them again. It would be for your own good if you follow them. If not, let me say that you will bitterly regret it." She stood from her chair and paced among the full desks, holding her wand. "I require that you have learned by the end of the semester the nonverbal spell."

"We don't even know what this is", a male student whispered but Vesper's hearing was better than they thought. 

"You will never interrupt me while I'm speaking!!", she shouted enraged at him. The boy literally shrank in his seat. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

The students sighed disappointed but said nothing. "Who knows what is a nonverbal spell?", she questioned and a blonde girl raised her hand. "Your name?"

"Irene Mills, Professor."

"Go on."

"A nonverbal spell is a spell which is performed without saying the incantation out loud. Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you are about to perform, which gives you a split-second advantage", explained the girl.

"That's right", Vesper nodded. "It's not that-.."

Her speech was interrupted by the sudden opening of the door. It was Severus Snape. She grimaced once she lay eyes on him. He walked past her and settled on the chair behind the teacher's desk with his arms crossed on his chest. 

"You are here... because?", her golden eyes fixed on him.

His black like coal eyes narrowed at her. "Short memory?", he sarcastically questioned. 

She breathed in deeply to calm her nerves. "Forgive me, Professor Snape but I thought that our combined classes would take place only when they are at the same timetable. Not whenever you feel like playing the supervisor."

He eyed her and shrugged afterwards. "Headmaster's orders, professor Mallory."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes at the insufferable man in front of her, so instead she turned her attention back to the students. "So...", she continued pacing around students' desks slowly. "Performing spells non-verbally is very difficult and requires a good deal of practice, as it requires concentration and mental discipline alone. Different wand-woods may also affect the performance of casting non-verbal magic. Many wands made from Dogwood are rather noisy, and refuse to perform non-verbal magic, whereas wands of Pine are some of the most sensitive to non-verbal magic. Willow wands possess a well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic, but of all woods, Alder is known as being the best suited for non-verbal magic. Some spells, such as Levicorpus, are easier to perform nonverbally than others. Most spells, however, seem to be less effective than normal when the incantation is not said."

The students seemed lost but nodded nontheless. A boy with pitch black hair raised his hand. Vesper allowed him to talk. "Professor... how can we perform such magic?"

"The movement of the wand remains the same. The incantation is the same. You only have to concentrate and transfer your magic to the wand through your body. For example...", she rose her wand and pointed at the book which was placed on the boy's desk. Locomotor, she thought. The book rose and twirled in the air before Vesper moved her wand downwards and the book returned to its place on the desk. The boy seemed amazed, just like the rest of the class. 

An annoyed huff sounded from behind her back. It was surely coming from Snape. She turned around visibly enraged and glared at him. "What is it now, Professor?!"

"You, seriously, couldn't find a better charm?", he ironically questioned, still having his arms folded before his chest. He's entire face screamed of irony. 

"Care to enlighten us then of which charm you would choose now, Professor?", Vesper walked up to him slowly, restraining her anger efficiently. 

He looked puzzled for a second but soon his facial features hardened and Vesper could swear that an evil smirk had appeared on his lips but it was so quick that she was unsure if she had truly seen it. 

"Of course", he simply said and stood up, walking up to her but he stopped, keeping Vesper some meters away. 

He grabbed his wand and pointed it at her. Imperio.

She blocked the unfriendly charm at once but soon after realization hit her like a dark wave. He tried to curse her! How could he?! Her face changed from shocked to enraged. He looked at her indifferently like he didn't just curse her! In a flash he rose his wand again. Crusio. Vesper managed to bock the curse again but in the last second, fearing that it could actually hit her. 

"How dare you?!", she almost screamed at him, panting like the oxygen had left her body for good. She was shocked beyond words could describe. On the other hand Snape was as calm as he could ever be. He tilted his head in one side, observing her carefully. "How dare you use an Unforgivable Curse on me??"

Many of the students gasped upon hearing Vesper. It was strictly against the rules to use Unforgivable Curses under Hogwarts' roof. 

"You blocked them, am I right?", he lifted one eyebrow, showing no remorse. 

"This is a pathetic excuse!", she barked, her blood boiled in her veins. She was literally furious. "Class dismissed!!", she shouted, without taking her golden eyes away from Snape's. One after the other, the students left the room in a mess of whispers and scared voices. What happened was outrageous. When the last student left and the large door of the room closed, her gaze had changed from enraged to poisonous. "You will be accountable to the Headmaster for what happened!"

In a split second Snape had closed the distance between them, grabbing forcefully her forearm. She hissed in pain but managed to raise her wand, keeping it dangerously close to his face. His black hair fell forward. His face was a mask of anger. "Why are you even here, Vess??"

Upon hearing her old nickname, Vesper gasped surprised. Her eyes met his and for a mere moment she could see the confusion in his eyes. She sharply pulled herself away from him and succeeded. She looked away as regret and repentance filled her. Although she quickly pushed away those feelings and turned to him with a glare. "Why do you even care, Severus?!"

"Believe me I don't", he hissed at her. "But if you've brought problems with you, then yes, I do care."

"Said the man who plays the double agent for Dumbledore and Tom", snapped at him fast enough. She although ignored the fact of the mistake had made.

Snape's eyes widen in surprise but he soon after seemed disgusted. "Tom?!", he hissed. "You call him like that?!"

Vesper cursed herself for the mistake she'd made. She shouldn't have said Voldemort's true name just like that. "Isn't it his name?!", she miserably tried to cover her worry with anger. 

"What the hell happened to you, Vesper?!", he glared at her. "Since day one you started seeing Malfoy during our school years, I can't recognize you!!"

Her heart clenched upon hearing Lucius' last name but she tried to ignore the feeling. "Many things had changed since then...", her voice sounded soft even if it was never her intention. 

Snape eyed her suspiciously. "Enlighten me, then."

She averted her eyes from him, feeling trapped inside his words. She owed him an explanation but she deep down knew that even the most detailed explanation would never succeed to change the opinion he had rightly formed about her. Nevertheless she nodded ever so softly. He was silent, probably waiting for her to start talking. 

"Everything started after the graduation...", she finally spoke. Her voice sounded defeated somehow. She walked to the nearest desk and sat on its surface, starring at her hands that were tangled on her lap. "As I'm sure you remember Lucius had graduated five years before me. My relationship with him had lasted no more than a year but it was... so strong and mind-blowing..."

"Yes, we all remember that", he commented ironically. 

"He engaged to Narcissa soon after the graduation...", she continued, ignoring his snide comment. "He had become a Deatheater already. I must admit that I acted so foolishly back then", she earned a confirmative hum from Snape at that point. "I wanted so bad to be with him... I couldn't care less for Narcissa, so the day after my graduation I finally saw him again. For months we met secretly from everyone. Until one day...", she paused for a second as memories flood her mind. "Until... one day...", she breathed in deeply. "...came face to face with Tom. He should look like a 50 years old man but... not even close. He was a gorgeous man with raven hair and captivating eyes. I will never forget that day. Lucius seemed truly disturbed by the way Tom had greeted me. The Dark Lord seemed bewitched by my presence. You wanted me to kill her? Voldemort had questioned him. I was... shocked. No words could describe the way I felt. Lucius wanted me dead. Did you want her dead because Narcissa is pregnant with your son? Voldemort had asked again. I was devastated to say the least. Lucius had betrayed me in the worst way possible. Not only he had been lying to me but he had also asked from Voldemort to kill me..."

"I couldn't imagine even the half of it", Snape said in a calm voice, showing no emotions at all. 

Vesper rose her gaze to him. "There's more..."

"I'm listening."

"I became a Deatheater right after that", she continued with a sigh. "I asked from the Dark Lord to allow me to work alone, away from the others and he accepted my request. Actually, he would accept any proposition coming out of my mouth. He was so mesmerized by me. So attached to me in any way."

Snape huffed. "Yes, I'm sure he was greatly in love with your stupidity", he arched one eyebrow.

"No...", she shook her head softly. "No, I don't think it was love...", she looked away once again, not daring to look him in the eyes for longer than some minutes. "But whatever feelings he had for me, they surely reminded me of love. Anyway...", she started scratching the inside of her palm with her long nails. How could she continue? She knew that the rest of the story would surely upset him to no end. Although she had to. "In 1981 though, everything changed..."

"Go on", he clenched his teeth.

Vesper forced herself to look at his eyes again but fearfully. "I know it is difficult for you-.."

"I said, go on", he sharply said.

"I was there the night he killed Lily and James...", she confessed even if the fear of his reaction was great enough. 

His features hardened so bad that his whole face turned into a mask of pure and deadly rage. "YOU?!", he barked. "You were there?! Why didn't you interfere?! Why the hell didn't you stop him?!!"

"Listen to yourself, Severus!", she stood up abruptly, hissing at him. "Who could possibly stop him?? He wanted that boy dead no matter the cost!! And don't forget that everything was your fault! You told him about the prophecy! Not me!"

With those words, Snape shut it but was still glaring daggers at her. He perfectly knew that Vesper was right. He had failed gracefully and he was partly responsible for Lily's death. 

"When Tom's body had been destroyed...", she continued. "I managed to remain hidden behind some trees and waited for your arrival...", she earned a particularly angry glare from Snape at that moment. "A few hours later you appeared and-.."

"I know the rest of the story", he cut her off sharply. "Tell me what happened next."

"I ran to Dumbledore just like you did... But he kept me away from you. I was still a bad influence for his faithful servant...", she mocked but Snape didn't react. "Dumbledore helped me find a job at the Ministry of Magic, because I was that smart. I was working at the Department of Mystery until..."

"...Until Voldemort regained his powers and body and tried to find you", Snape filled the sentence quick enough.

"Exactly."

He nodded. The tension between them hadn't reduced but they seemed like non of them had the mood to keep fighting like teenagers. 

"I want to apologise...", she started but his hand in the air paused her.

"No, Vesper", he glared at her. "You had the chance to choose our friendship over Lucius' horny attitude years ago when he demanded from you to stop seeing me or else he would break up with you!"

"I was in love with him!!", she snapped at him. "But what do you know of love?!" 

His eyes changed, showing a swirl of emotions but that only stood visible for only a second. He then huffed angrily. "You know perfectly well that once I was capable of love."

She said nothing though. She knew he was right. She also knew that she had screwed things up with him monumentally. How could she say anything now? With a quick move she turned on her heels and ran out of the class, leaving him behind. She wanted to feel angry, she wished she could hurt him, just for her to feel powerful and collected but she hadn't in her anymore. Voldemort had gracefully managed to break her efficiently. How could she ever be capable of feeling normal again? Probably she would never...


	3. The Sacrifice

The days passed torturously slowly inside the castle. Vesper was unable to leave the castle for any reason, so she spent her days teaching brainless students and reading in the library. The lessons that were done in combination with the Potions, were perhaps the worst hours of each day. Snape was not at all friendly or even calm towards her and that pushed her to her limits. However, she could contain her temperament without causing any problems in the classroom.

Teaching students was a real feat for her. The Slytherins were much more focused on her lesson and that at least made her feel better. Her only huge problem was with Draco Malfoy. The boy did not know her, but for some inexplicable reason he was constantly causing her problems. One morning, as she was at the table with the teachers eating breakfast, Snape himself informed her that he had heard Draco talking to his friends, calling her a whore. That was the drop that overflowed the glass. Vesper informed the Headmaster of the incident, leaving Snape aside, and asked for his parents to be informed. But Vesper did not imagine the extent of the issue.

Exactly one week later, on Saturday, she found the caretaker of the castle knocking on her office door. He informed her that the Headmaster wanted to talk to her in his office. He said it was urgent. Vesper, fearing that the emergency Dumbledore wanted to tell her might have something to do with the Dark Lord, she immediately began to prepare to go to his office. She threw on her usual black dress and robes and braided her long hair. After a few minutes when she was ready she left her office, heading to Dumbledore's office. Luckily, she was informed about the new password and two minutes later she found herself just outside the office, knocking the door.

"Come in", Dumbledore's voice sounded mouffled behind the closed door. Vesper pushed open the door but froze instantly in place, without daring to step inside. Three pairs of eyes were looking at her. Dumbledore, Lucius and Narcissa. _So much for the secrecy_ , she thought annoyed. Her stay at Hogwarts was supposed to be a secret to the outside world. What the hell was Dumbledore thinking?! He let the Malfoys meet her. The Malfoys, whose head of family was still a Deatheater! That was ubsurd to say the least. 

"Thank you for the secrecy, Albus", she poisonously said, stepping in the office and shuting the door behind her. The couple seemed rather shocked upon seeing her. Obviously they had no idea about the teacher who dared to insult their kid. Lucius was staring at her in a strange way, probably wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. For a few seconds Vesper allowed herself to observe the man she was deeply in love with for several years. He seemed tired. So tired that his usual flawless face now was engraved with anxiety wrinkles. The long blonde hair of his was now dull. Nothing like the shiny blonde wave of locks he had when he was with her. Although Narcissa looked a lot worse than her husband. Her two-toned black and white hair was messy, her beautiful face dull and her eyes redish and tired. Obviously Voldemort had managed to destroy them inside out. 

"They won't speak", Dumbledore interfered her thoughts. 

She managed a huff. "You should not trust them. Especially him", she pointed at Lucius' direction. 

"He's looking for you...", Lucius spoke with hoarse voice. 

"Tell me something I don't know", she sarcastically said. 

"We only care for our son's safety", Narcissa said softly. 

"Oh, Narcissa, you must teach the boy some manners", Vesper glared at her. "Calling a teacher whore requires extreme measures."

"Aren't you?", Narcissa arched an eyebrow. 

" _ **What?!**_ ", Vesper growled at her, taking some steps closer. 

"She knows...", Lucius declared almost defeated as he sat on one of thetwo chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk. 

"What the hell, Lucius?!", Vesper threw her arms in the air. "Why have you told her?!"

Dumbledore started pacing behind his desk with his arms folded behind his back, looking rather lost in his own thoughts. The idea only of Narcissa knowing her past with Lucius was crazy enough to throw her off balance. Lucius covered his face with one hand. 

"The Dark Lord told me", Narcissa said. 

Vesper's golden eyes widened in surprise. Narcissa knew about her husband's previous relationship with Vesper but what she didn't know was the fact that after their engagement Vesper continued seeing Lucius behind her back. For several months actually. That was not Voldemort's to say but he was who he was. 

"Exactly why am I here?", Vesper turned the tables to them as she turned her gaze to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore snapped out of fantasy land and glanced at her direction. "It may be necessary for you to meet up with Voldemort..."

 _Wait, what?!_ She couldn't even process his words. The whole thing was messed up, actually. First, he wanted to hide her away from Voldemort, now he brought the Malfoys inside the castle to see her, setting the entire plan in serious danger and then... what?! He planned to let go of her directly into Voldemort's arms?! 

"You must be crazy...", she anxiously chuckled but she couldn't hide her worry. Her hands were sweaty and shaking. She didn't want to face Voldemort again in her life. She may have known that Voldemort would never try to kill her, but still. 

"Vesper..." Dumbledore walked past the desk and neared her, placing his hands on her shoulders causing Vesper to look him directly into his wise eyes. "Things got out of control here. He attacked the Ministry. He killed almost 50 people just to find you. We must stop him somehow. And we can't do it without you."

She should be shocked but she wasn't. She was fully aware of what Voldemort was capable of doing to find her. With a deep breath she nodded whilst she lowered her gaze. 

"Why is he so devoted to find her?", Lucius looked up at them from his sitting position. 

"Because I am the Heiress of Slytherin...", Vesper replied, turning her gaze to her former lover. 

.................................................................

That revelation heard in the Headmaster's office was at least shocking to the Malfoy couple. The meeting ended shortly after that. Dumbledore forced both of them to take the Unbreakable Vow, swearing they would never reveal Vesper's position. That weekend was the worst in Vesper's life. She and Dumbledore planned her return to the Dark Lord without endangering any innocent lives. For her own good, Vesper knew Occlumency so it would be terribly difficult for Voldemort to invade her mind.

On Monday morning, just before sunrise, Vesper found herself wandering in the Dungeons, pacing back and forth the stony corridors. The plan was ready and perfect in any aspect. She just needed to share it with someone who, according to Dumbledore's suggestions, would be perfect to accompany her. Severus Snape. The idea alone was scary but she had to admit that Albus was right. 

"What on earth are you doing down here??", his deep voice pulled Vesper out of her complicated thoughts. She obviously didn't realize that he had opened his office door and had found her right outside, pacing, lost in her own world. Her eyes met his and his face turned serious upon seeing her worried expression. "Come on in."

He kept the door open for her to enter his personal chambers. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and suffocating. The air smelled of mold and dust hovered around as if someone had shaken an old carpet. She immediately collapsed on the nearest couch, her face in her hands. She probably looked a lot paler than usual because she hadn't even bothered to cover her face with makeup. Her white hair was messy and uncombed. 

"What happened, Vesper?", he required as he closed the door and joined her on the couch. 

As she lowered her hands and turned to face him, her golden eyes filled with unwanted tears. She hated crying in front of others, so she quickly wiped them before they even ran to her cheeks. Snape frowned in surprise, unable to understand why Vesper was in such a miserable condition. His black robes were tightly tied around him and his hair, a black lip, framed his pale face.

"I...", she managed to speak but her throat burned, probably from the tears she hadn't shed. "I need to face Voldemort but... I can't... I just can't..."

Snape looked troubled. Even worried. But soon after he turned angry. "This is a madness!", he exclaimed sharply. "You won't do such thing!"

"Listen to me...", she turned towards him, grabbing his cold hands in hers and caught him out of guard. "We don't have much time. The plan is as follows. I know that Dumbledore tried to hide me in the school's shelter from the beginning, but things got out of hand. Voldemort killed many innocent people, looking for me, and that must stop. The plan helps you too. I'm sure Voldemort doesn't trust you as much as he should and now we can change that, taking advantage of my situation. You will be the one who will give me into the hands of the Dark Lord..."

He pulled his hands away from hers sharply, staring at her enraged. "I won't do it! Of course, I won't! He will kill you!!"

"I didn't know you cared for my wellbeing...", she arched one eyebrow confused.

He grimaced. "I couldn't care less."

She let out a deep breath. "Anyway, he won't kill me."

"Because?"

"Because he thinks I am the Heiress of Slytherin", she declared calmly. 

That efficiently shut him but he looked puzzled. After a few silent minutes, he finally spoke again. "But you are not. Are you?"

"I think I am not... Not entirely sure, though. Dumbledore and I still searching for answers...", she sighed. "Severus... You need to do this. You will say that you were looking for me, without informing him, so that you could get the credit. He knows about your ambitions. This way he will trust you more and so he will not constantly control you. What do you say?"

"This will put you in grave danger, Vesper", he stood up and paced around the room, scratching his chin absentmindedly.

"Severus... Please...", she mumbled, looking up at him. "Someone has to be sacrificed for the greater good..."

He stopped, dead to his feet and snapped his head back to her. His pitch black eyes seemed worried but cold and distant at the same time. That man was a riddle. He then nodded softly. "When are we leaving?"


	4. Cursed Memories

The next two days passed like hazy images in Vesper's mind. She had distanced herself from the classes, leaving Minerva to replace her as a DADA professor, but not completely. Minerva simply followed Vesper's curriculum for the lessons and gave the students homework. Vesper spent her time either in Dumbledore's office or in the dungeons with Snape. The plan was not good at all. She knew that Voldemort was smarter than they thought, and if the plan wasn't perfect, everything would go to hell.

It was very late on the night of the third day and Vesper was in Snape's private chambers with Dumbledore, looking at the plan over and over again. She was sitting on the double sofa, just across from the lit fireplace. Snape paced back and forth aimlessly with his long robes fluttering behind every step. Contrary to Snape's nervousness, Dumbledore sat quietly in the armchair, staring blankly, lost in thought. After a brief silence that was now rare, Vesper let out a long sigh.

"Severus...", she spoke softly, catching his attention. "Voldemort will check the last spells of our wands, and I am absolutely sure that if he does not find some extremely aggressive spells, he will suspect that we are lying."

"Do you have any idea what exactly you are asking me to do??", he sharply questioned her. He looked pale and tired but his rage was evident. His black locks framed his face like curtains and his coal eyes narrowed at her. 

"I ask you to do what you tried to do on the first day of our classes, Severus!!!", she growled at him. Dumbledore looked at her quizzically.

"What did you do?", the Headmaster turned his attention to Snape. The Potions professor seemed at a loss of words. 

"Just leave it, Albus", she shook her head. "It's nothing."

"I knew that she would block the spells, Albus", he defended himself.

"That is no excuse, Severus. Using an Unforgivable Curse under the school roof is unacceptable", Dumbledore sternly said. 

"Albus, we have much bigger problems than this!", she almost shouted at him. "We're out of fucking time! I _need_ to go back to Voldemort _**now**_!"

"Is it burning?", the Headmaster subsided with a sigh. 

Vesper knew that he was reffering to the Dark Mark on her forearm. She just nodded without saying anything. 

"Mine too", Severus rubbed his forehead like he had a migraine. "Vesper", he looked at her, determination evident in his eyes. "Stand up. We're leaving."

"What?", her brows furrowed. "What about the plan? We're not ready yet."

"Yes, we are", he declared. "Quickly now."

Vesper stood up but her attention turned to Dumbledore. 

"I am not sure what he has in mind but if I were you I would trust him", the Headmaster stood as well. "I will find a way to cover your absence. Go..."

She nodded and threw her black robes over her simple black dress and pulled the hood to cover her white locks. The castle was so silent that you could hear your heartbeat. Leaving Dumbledore behind, Vesper felt uneasiness and fear. What if Voldemort would not accept her back? What if he hurt Severus? As they left the castle, the icy wind enveloped them, causing Vesper to shudder. Neither of them spoke as they walked into the school yard. They had to go out of the perimeter to apparate. Their footsteps on the icy ground sounded like someone was trying to break the ice with a heavy object. When, after several minutes, they arrived at the huge gate with the railings, Snape raised his hands, holding his wand, and began to untie the protective spells with non-verbal magic. The gate opened after a while and they stepped outside the perimeter. 

Snape rose his arm and offered it to her. "Just follow me."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Where are we going, Severus?"

"You'll see", he only said.

With a deep sigh, Vesper grabbed his arm and felt the all familiar sensation of apparition. The feeling was always strange. Like something was pulling you into a dark vortex that made you think it looked like an abyss. Seconds later their feet touched the ground and she opened her eyes widely. Snape was standing right beside her. She looked across the road at the rows of dilapitated brick houses. It was raining. 

"Spinner's End...", she mumbled almost silently. She knew that road like the palm of her hand cause it was the street on which the childhood home of Snape was located. The windows of the houses seemed dull and immersed in darkness. You could smell the dirty river even if you couldn't see it. Spinner's End was located in Cokeworth, a large town in England. Vesper turned to look at him. "Why are we here?"

"We need to prepare and we can't do it in Hogwarts", he replied and started walking towards his house which was at the end of the alley they had apparated minutes ago. Vesper silently followed him in the rain, looking around, just to bring out some memories. She also lived in England during her childhood but not in that wretched street. Although when she met Snape in Hogwarts she had then visited him many times during the summer vacations. She glanced his bat-like figure next to her with the smallest of smiles plastered on her face. He was a strange kid. Very private, never happy and always so moody. But Vesper really liked him, because above all he always had a gentle heart. Although he changed after Lily's death. He became aggresive, entirely unhappy and grumpy. 

"Hey", his voice sounded behind her. She spun around to meet him. "Were you daydreaming?", he arched one eyebrow. "You walked past the house."

"Oh...", she shrugged. "I didn't notice. Sorry."

"Hmpf...", he walked up to the front door and she followed him close behind, looking upwards to observe the exterior of the house. It was just as she remembered it. The house stood at least two stories high with bricks covering the walls and windows with wooden frame. As they stepped inside the smell of dump and filth hit their noistrils. They both grimaced disgusted at the same time. 

"Ew...", she coughed. The first room upon entry had the feeling of a prison cell. "It looks awful..."

"Why, thank you", he ironically turned to her. "Any other smart comment?"

"I'm not going any further if you don't clean it", she glared at him as she removed her wet cape and hung it on the hanger near the door. He literally rolled his eyes at her but with a flick of his wand everything started moving and cleaning one another. Only a few minutes later the place still seemed dark and uninviting but at least clean. She smiled at him as she made her way to that tiny living room the house contained at the left of the main hall. 

The walls were covered in books, most of them bound in black and brown leather. There was a threadbare sofa, an old armchair and a rickety table. A cuddle-filled lamp hung from the ceiling. Vesper took of her shoes and made herself comfortable on the sofa with her legs up on it and her arms around her knees. The black fabric of her dress cascaded down to the floor. She looked out of the dirty window which was near the sofa. The grey, heavy clouds seemed rather full of water. 

Snape let out a deep sigh as he settled himself on the armchair, near the sofa. She fixed her golden gaze back to him. "What is it, Severus?"

Silence. His black as night orbs were stuck on the floor, burning holes in it. His black locks were wet from the rain but he seemed to ignore it completely. Every now and then drops of rainy water fell from his hair to his robes. 

"I can handle the pain", she whispered and succeeded to earn his attention. Black eyes met golden ones. "I can do it. I'm not afraid..."

"Yes, you are", he murmured like he didn't want her to listen to him. "And so am I..."

She then stood up and fell to her knees in front of him. An action she didn't really give much thought. When she grabbed his hands inside hers, Snape looked away, without pulling his hands away though. "You have absolutely no idea how sorry I am for what I did to you, Severus..."

"I don't need this right now", he sharply said but his tone of voice hid something else entirely. Something she couldn't quite figure just yet. 

"Just let me finish for once...", she sounded sad, like the entire defensive mechanism of hers had tumbled down. "You were... truly... my best friend in the whole world. I screwed things up with you monumentally. I subsided my love for you only because my heart was aching for Lucius. A man so--.."

"Wait...", he cut her off. He tried to pull away but Vesper's clench around his hands was really tight. "You... No. You _loved_ me?", he questioned in pure disbelief.

"Of course, I did. And I still do."

He pulled away succeedingly, pushing her aside and stood up. "You liar!!!", he growled enraged. Vesper sighed so deeply that left no oxygen behind. "You never loved me! I can't believe you say that! If you truly loved me you would never left me in the first place!!"

"Do you truly loved Lily Evans?", she questioned, still on her knees but with her back on him. Her elbows were resting on the spot he was sitting one minute ago.

"You know damn well that I loved her more than my life!!", he replied furiously. She could sense him pace behind her like a mad man. 

"Then why did you hurt her?" The question froze him and he stopped dead in his tracks. "You called her a... mudblood. I was there. Remember?"

" _Shut up_!!"

Suddenly she spun around and stood up in a split second. Her golden eyes were now angry and dark, just like his. "We, people, hurt the ones we love!! When do you intend to understand this?!"

He moved faster like the wind and caught her forearm with such a force that she gasped painfully. "You... silly wench...", he whispered menacingly with his face inches away from hers. He was so enraged that even Vesper felt scared for the first time. "You're nothing in comparison to her. You hear me?! A big, fat, nothing!! I wish you were dead! But even though you're not, believe me, you are dead to me!!"

And with those words he pushed her away, making her stumble behind. He withdrew his wand and pointed at her. She fell to the floor with her palms and knees on it, staring at him directly into his eyes. Anger and confliction showed up behind dark orbs. 

"Just do it...", she urged him. She deep down knew that it was the only way to achieve their most desired result. He needed to curse her and she had to make him do it now. Now that he was extremely upset and enraged. 

_**Crusio!** _


	5. The Agreement

The pain that flowed through Vesper's body like an electric current could not be compared to anything else. Her breath inside her lungs was lost at once. She felt as if her organs were melting, one after the other. She fell to her knees, her hands pressing against her skull, trying not to scream in unbearable pain. Her eyesight was blurred, probably from tears in her eyes. Vesper had never felt so much pain in her body. Yes, she had gone through a lot, but what she was living at that time was unprecedented. Blood began to flow from her nose and as soon as her blurred gaze saw it, she began to scream.

"Damn it!!", Vesper heard Severus' voice as soon as the pain begun to subside. It was magical. Probably Snape had withdrew the curse. She fell to the floor, her cheek resting on the cold wooden floor. She had closed her eyes and was trying to breathe normally, ignoring the blood that kept running from her nose. After a while she felt two strong arms pull her off the floor and then her body slowly rose. Snape's familiar scent hit her nostrils. It was a mixture of spices, rain water and ...lemon? She couldn't be sure. 

"Thanks...", she murmured ever so softly. "Now--.."

"Shh", he cut her off. "You need to rest..."

"Severus...", she managed to open her eyes and looked up at him. "It's time..."

He frowned but he tightened the grip around her instinctively. He could clearly sense the danger. "You can't face him in such bad shape..."

"Yes, I can", she tried to sound stern but utterly failed. "Chain me."

"What?!", his eyes widened and the black depth inside them deepened. 

"You will take me there in chains. Treat me like an animal and he will reward you...", she coughed and wiped off some of the blood. "Just do it", she glared at him.

"Fine", he gritted his teeth annoyed and placed her on the couch. Vesper grimaced in pain but said nothing. He took off his wand and flicked it in her direction. Silver chains swirled and locked around her neck, wrists and ankles. 

"That's more like it", she joked without any joy though. "Where is he?"

"At the Malfoy Manor", he blurted out and without letting her react or protest, he grabbed her forearm and they apparated together.

************************************************

The night sky shone before their eyes as soon as their feet touched the hard ground. Thunderbolts filled the darkness with light, but not a drop of rain fell. They were standing in a wide gravel driveway which had a large hedge curving alongside it. They started walking towards the house's direction, passing through the iron gates with Snape's gestures. After a while the outside of the manor appeared and Vesper's heart clenched. She was still in chains, following Snape like a faithful dog. Her white hair was stained with blood, half of her face was also stained with blood. Her own blood. Even now her whole body ached terribly from the curse, and her dress was drenched in sweat. She had no shoes on her feet and wondered when she lost them. Would it be at Snape's house or later? She couldn't be sure. 

Malfoy manor was a handsome manor house surrounded by gardens with many various trees, including a fountain. As they reached the front door, it swung inward without anyone visibly opening it. Then Snape pulled her chains so hard that Vesper lost her balance and fell to her knees. She knew that she had to play her part now. Everything was an act after all and if it was not a good one, their plan would blow up on their faces. She moaned in pain and glared at him. He tried very hard to ignore her as he dragged her through the lange, dimly lit hallway. The magnificent carpet which was covering the stone floor eased the pain on her knees. She knew where he was dragging her. Directly to the Drawing Room. And she was so damn right. 

The double wooden doors opened as they approached and Vesper looked up, still on her knees. It was a widely proportioned room with two chandeliers and a pipe organ at one end. The long, ornate table was full of silent people, all of then Deatheaters, some of them very well known to Vesper. Her blood froze inside her veins upon laying eyes on the one person who stood tall at the head of the table. For the first time in her life she felt cowardish. The monster looked nothing like the man she had met years ago. Tom Riddle was an attractive man with raven black hair and gorgeous pale face. Now... Now he had no hair on his head, his skin had a weird grey-ash color and his nose... He had no nose! The expression on his face showed rage and disgustion. His pale blue eyes were cold and distant. Snape dragged her further inside the room and she obediently followed. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't take her eyes off of Voldemort. 

"What a present", someone from the table commented jokingly. That was Scabior, for sure. Some of them chuckled colorlessly. 

"She ran to me and asked for my help", Snape sounded from behind her. He had let the chains to the floor. "And I helped her", he ironically added. He was good. Very good in his role. 

"I see...", a voice so soft and delicate caressed her ears ever so lightly. She lowered her gaze out of respect as Voldemort approached her silently. She could see his feet under the long robes, but only a small part of them. "I should kill her...", he mumbled, like he talked to himself but then Vesper saw Nagini, sneaking out behind his robes. 

"No, no, no... Master, no...", Lucius' voice sounded from the table. She snapped her head up and spotted him, in the middle of the table, near Narcissa. He looked even worse than the last time she had seen him. He was pale, breathing fast and with stubbles covering half of his face. _He cared?!_ She couldn't believe in her ears. 

"Shut up!", Voldemort hissed at him but Lucius stood up, literally shaking. 

"I beg you... Please...", he pleaded and then Vesper saw the pained look on Narcissa's eyes. 

"Let's get this over with", Vesper straightened her body, without standing up and looked directly into Voldemort's eyes. 

He fixed his eyes on hers, observing her with a curious expression on his monster-like face. "You know I can't kill you...", he leaned towards her and extended his long, slender arm. His fingers were long and his claw-like nails were dirty. She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "You are the Heiress of Slytherin..."

"She's a traitor!!", Bellatrix jumped up her seat. She was furious. "She ran away after the night your body had been destroyed, my Lord!! And when you came back she did nothing to find you!!! She has to die!!"

"SILENCE!!", he barked so loudly that everyone gasped in fear. Bellatrix shakingly sat back to her seat with her head down. 

Vesper chuckled fearlessly and all of them looked at her like she was insane. Voldemort bit his bottom lip, restraining himself efficiently. Merlin knew how much he wanted to kill her but he deep down knew he couldn't. "Am I the only one who never got scared of you, Tom?"

"It's because you think your life worths more than mine", Voldemort calmly replied.

"I never thought something as crazy as that", she arched one eyebrow. 

"Why didn't you come back when I regained my body?"

She let out a sigh as she made sure that her mind was properly sealed against his powers. "Because I was ashamed. The night you lost against Potter boy, I ran away, thinking that you were dead. And I had lost you... I sought refuge from Dumbledore... I had betrayed your honor... How could I come back?"

"Why did you go and ask for help from Snape?", he questioned again.

"Because I needed to meet you... Alone though. Not with an audience."

"And why is that?"

"They tried to kill me numerous times after the night I lost you...", she turned her eyes to the table. "Bellatrix, Crabbe, Goyle and Avery."

"I see...", he glared at them. "Even if I told them that I never wished your death."

The four of them seemed guilty and they lowered their heads in fear as he scrutinized them thoroughly.

"Will you ever forgive me, my Lord?", Vesper managed to earn his attention again. 

The smallest of smiles appeared on his now ugly face. Satisfaction. His eyes shone so brightly cause he was finally happy about the outturn of events. Vesper felt disgusted. She hated herself for doing that but she had to comply. There was no other way. 

"There is something you can do about me, Vesper", he said and ran his cold fingers through her blood wet locks. She shivered but not in a good way. Voldemort smelled like a dead corpse. 

"Anything... my Lord...", she breathed and kept her golden eyes fixated on his. 

"I need a successor...", he said softly with a smirk. 

Her eyes widened. A what?! She pulled her face away from his touch and looked at him in shock. "What the hell do you mean?"

"I want you to deliver my son", he declared now with no smile at all. 

"What?!", Snape sounded thunderstruck behind her. 

"If you refuse, I will kill Lucius and Snape", he added to his declaration and stepped back. Nagini swirled on the floor, right beside him. "Trust me, I don't need them if I can't have you."

She snapped her head back to Snape's direction. Her heart fluttered upon locking eyes with him. How could she let him die?! She obviously couldn't! She felt hot tears at the edge of her eyes. Snape seemed lost and angry at the same time but no word came out of his mouth. She then turned her eyes to Lucius who surprisingly seemed calm and collected. He may not have been so scared about death, after all. But how could she decide so quickly on such an important issue? Apparently she couldn't let them die either. That was out of the question. But she had to find something in return that Voldemort wanted more than the successor. Her mind was working feverishly but nothing in the world was worth more than a successor. Not even her death.

"Let me kill Potter boy", she blurted out without giving the idea a second thought. Golden eyes met pale blue ones. Voldemort laughed without joy. 

"I can do that. When the time comes", he assured her. "Accept or I will kill them right now", he lifted his wand, pointing it at Snape first. The Potions professor stepped back but his eyes showed no fear. He was so brave. Vesper's heart clenched upon seeing his stance. She would never be brave enough like him. He didn't deserve to die. Not now. Not like that. Not because she refused Voldemort's proposition. 

"I accept...", she mumbled and then she saw fear in those black eyes that were looking at her in shock. The agreement was now sealed. She knew she could not back down for any reason. She was to become the mother of the monster.


	6. The Only One

"YOU ACCEPTED!!", Snape yelled at her. It was past four in the morning and Vesper was still at the Malfoy manor. Shortly after her consent to Voldemort's plan, the latter left in order to feed his snake, Nagini. It was a very good excuse for him to let Vesper worry on her own. Almost all of the Deatheaters had left, leaving behind Snape, herself and the Malfoy couple. 

She sighed deeply and buried her face in her hands, indignantly. Her consent to Voldemort's proposal was frightening. She didn't even want to think about it. However, the mere thought that two people would die because of her if she refused his proposal was even more frightening. She turned her reddened eyes to Snape. They were alone in the guest room given to her by the Malfoys. The Dark Lord was very clear. It was not possible for Vesper to leave the manor unless their agreement was completed. She had no choice but to obey.

"Yes, I am well aware that I accepted, thank you very much", she lowered her hands and rolled her golden eyes at him. After Voldemort's departure she had managed to take a shower and change her dirty clothes. Now she was wearing a white chiffon nightgown that reached to the floor, with her white curls falling loosely on her back.

"You are so stupid", he hissed, standing in front of the window and looking outside. His dark robes did not stand out from the black curtains that framed the large window. She couldn't see his face because she was sitting on the double bed with the satin covers, but she could sense his discomfort. 

Vesper lowered her head, suddenly feeling so mentally tired and overwhelmed by all the events. The last thing she needed was Snape's pliable temperament. She simply remained silent, immersed in her own misery that unfortunately could not be repaired. Instead, Snape wanted to continue.

"It's your fault for what happened!", he turned to face her but he was confronted with her lowered head instead. "You didn't have to accept this stupid suggestion he made to you! There is always a second option, Vesper. You, as always, have chosen the worst path!"

"Just, give me a break, Severus...", she sighed and pulled her head up, meeting his fiery eyes. "Your life worths more than my sanity..."

Her phrase silenced him effectively. Snape never did well with the truth. From the moment he lost Lily, he learned to live his life in lies, deception and hypocrisy. How could he accept the truth without effort? That would be a wishful thinking. She did not look away from his eyes. Their feelings were so different. She felt pain, acceptance and terror. He felt anger, resentment and surprise. So intense emotions that they could explode if they were made of materials.

He neared her slowly and sat beside her. She gathered her legs on the bed and tangled them under her, in a lotus position, turning her body to his side, while he did not move at all. As her body bent toward him, her forehead rested on his shoulder, in a rather defeated position. He said nothing. He did not move. He did not push her away. Memories invaded his mind, as that was something they used to do after every quarrel. Vesper has always been the loser, because she never endured arguing with him for more than a few minutes. Also, Vesper was always the one who made sure to approach him after a fight, because she couldn't stand to feel Snape angry with her. It was always like that, until the moment it wasn't and Vesper hurt him irreparably by chasing him away from her for the sake of Lucius.

"You sacrificed your sanity for Lucius too", he spoke softly. "Not only for me..."

She pulled her head away from his shoulder and looked at him. He was already looking at her. She nodded softly. 

"That's why I'm never going to believe that you regretted destroying our friendship for his sake", he poisonously said and stood up hastily. "What if you had to choose between me and him?", he turned on his heels, glaring daggers at her. The question caught her out of guard. "What if fate decided to play the same game again and you had to choose between my own life and his own? What would be your choice, Vesper?"

She gulped nervously. What sick game was Snape trying to play with her? For him, each of her answers was decisive, but Vesper did not want to answer. How could she choose between the lives of those two people who defined her life completely? She opened her mouth to speak but no word escaped her lips. It was tragic. She saw that as the seconds passed and she did not speak, the expression on Snape's face changed as the colors of the rainbow changed. Anger, pain, indignation, confirmation and finally frustration. It pained her terribly that she could not give a proper answer. The truth was that if fate ever made her choose, she would rather die herself than take the life of one of them.

"I thought so", he disappointingly said and shook his head. "You're as pathetic as you were, years ago." 

And with those harsh words he left, slamming the door behind him. She was left alone with her dark thoughts as her only companion. Her eyes filled with tears. They ran like streams on her cheeks, but they couldn't get rid of her pain. A knot formed in her throat, causing so much pain that she felt her neck be torn. Her body slipped on the floor and was wrapped in a fetal position. She screamed in tears, unable to bear the whole situation that unfolded before her eyes like a nightmare. Vesper could not bear to give birth to a monster whose sole purpose would be to destroy everything good in the world.

That was the end of the line. She perfectly knew that her body would not bear such pain. Being pregnant by a human being is manageable. But ... to be pregnant by a monster, one thing only meant. Death. Voldemort knew that Vesper would never blindly obey him. That's why he wanted a successor. He would be easily manageable. The thought was scary. She had an expiration date for the Dark Lord. She had to die for the great cause. The sobbing subsided and the tears dried on her face. Vesper had to be strong. Not just for her, but for Snape. For Dumbledore. For her memories and for the life she couldn't live. For all those wrong choices that led her down dark paths that fate was now trying to correct.

She gathered all her strenght and stood at her feet, slightly shaking. As if hypnotized, she left the room on the third floor and went down all the steps until her footsteps led her to the Drawing Room. She somehow knew that she would find Lucius there and she was correct. The blonde wizard jumped up his seat, as he was sitting on an armchair before the lit fireplace. He was all alone. 

"Vesper...?", he frowned. His usual silk voice was now hoarse. "I thought you were sleeping."

She was barefoot and no sound came from her footsteps as she neared the fireplace. Only then Lucius managed to look at her pale face. It was still wet from tears. He clenched his teeth, mostly enraged by himself who couldn't ease her pain. Her golden eyes focused on the red and yellow fire.

"You...", he tried. It was difficult. What could he say? "Don't worry... I... I can protect you...", he mumbled and stood beside her. She turned her face to look at him indifferently. His blue eyes met her golden ones and her heart skipped a beat unwillingly. "I would do anything... You know that. I... I will... I don't know...", he sighed and shrugged. "I love y--.."

He never managed to finish his sentence for it was her hand that stopped him with a forceful slap across his cheek. "Do not humiliate the most beautiful and purest expression of emotions, Lucius...", she said calmly. His eyes were wide, starring at her in utter surprise. His hand was on top of his now reddened cheek. "You never truly loved me. You never cared. You wanted me dead. You were always in love with Narcissa. You just wanted to use me..."

"You were the only one I loved...", he murmured with a pained expression. Vesper could not tell if that expression on his face was from the pain of the slap or from the emotional pain. But nevertheless, his words made her heart flutter. How she hated it. She found herself nodding at his words. 

"There came a time when you were the only one for me...", she admitted with the saddest of smiles plastered on her face. "I hoped we would be together forever. What an immature thought...", a single tear streamed down her left cheek. "You could not limit your passion. You couldn't hold back... What I generously offered you was never enough. I was nothing to you... You made me feel like rabbish. I lost a friend to be with you... The only friend I wished to keep until my dying day, but you decided against it...", she moved away from him and knelt before the fireplace, staring into the flames. For an unknown reason he had remained silent with his eyes glued somewhere behind her back. She completely ignored him, thinking that he just didn't care. Although she could not contain the flow of emotions that wanted to be poured out of her system. "You have no idea how much you ruined my life...", she continued with a soft tone of voice. "I could manage our separation much easier if I had Severus in my life. You can't even imagine how much the end of my friendship with him cost me. He understood me without me saying a word. He knew exactly what I needed without me asking for it...", a hurtful sob escaped her lips and she shut her eyes. "I didn't even try to gain his trust again. I didn't support him when he needed it most...", she breathed in sharply to ease the tears but it was merely impossible. She heard footsteps aproaching her from behind and she assumed that Lucius finally decided to react to her words. But she could not stop. "I will soon be dead and what hurts me the most is that I will never be able to make him forgive me... Hell, I wouldn't forgive myself if I was in his place... Life should never be like that..."

"Do you truly love him?", Lucius sounded from behind her.

"I love him...", she replied and nodded, opening her eyes to face the flames. Her tears eased for a moment. "I loved you Lucius...", she admitted. "But I never loved you as much as I love Severus. And...", she trailed off. A thought had landed in her mind that was more like a realization than a simple thought. 

"And...?", Lucius encouraged her to continue. 

"And... If I had to choose to save your life or his, I would choose...", she paused feeling unsure. Not for the answer, but whether she should admit it or keep it to herself. She decided to go with the truth. "...his. I would choose to save his life..."

"But you said nothing when I asked you...", the familiar velvet voice filled the air and Vesper snapped her head back in disbelief. 

It was _him_. Severus. And now... what?


	7. Deadly Dilemma

Vesper's breath stopped somewhere between her lungs and her throat. Why didn't she hear him approaching? Were Snape's footsteps she had heard behind her back? She immediately turned her shocked gaze to Lucius and to her great surprise realized that he had not moved from the position she had left him before she knelt in front of the lit fireplace. The silence between the three of them was deafening. Endless questions popped into her mind like bombs. How much had he heard? Why didn't Lucius say anything? How could she explain to Snape everything she confessed? What a mess! Before she could even react, Lucius disappeared into a whirlwind of black smoke. But seconds before he disappeared, Vesper managed to look at his face, which was a mask of sorrow. She stared blankly at where Lucius was standing a few moments earlier. She had hurt him with the truth she dared to confess. But what else could she say? She was tired of lying. The truth is the only one that solves all problems.

"Now you know...", she turned her back to Snape and sat on the floor with her knees on her chest and her arms around them. The fire in the fireplace was the only light source that kept the room half-lit.

Snape moved closer and settled on the armchair right next to the fireplace and her. "The thing you said...", he breathed out, debating about what to say. "You know... about your death."

"I am in his disposal now, Severus...", she managed a sad smile, still not looking at him. "He knows that I'll die. He doesn't care. He never cared."

"I do care", he confessed and he managed to get her to focus on him with her wide golden eyes stuck upon his. He pressed his lips together, obviously remorseful for the words he said. "I suppose. I'm not sure. Forget it..."

Vesper crawled on the floor and settled on the floor before his legs. Her eyes never leaving his. Have you ever seen charcoal and gold melt together and create a shimmering mass of black gold? That's exactly what their eyes looked like. "I believed every word I said, Severus..."

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, with his face buried in his palms. "I know...", he said softly. Did he really believe her? That man has always been a mystery. But Vesper knew him better than anyone. She could tell when he was lying and when he was telling the truth. But how sure could she be? It had been so many years since she had been by his side. Snape had changed radically. What if he had become the perfect liar? She decided to believe her instinct and not her logic. 

She hesitantly raised her hands and approached his own hands which were still keeping his face hidden. As soon as she touched the skin of his wrists, his body became rigid. She could feel how uncomfortable her touch made him feel. Slowly, she pulled his hands away from his face and his eyes met hers, with a concern that Vesper had never seen before. "I want to ask something from you...", she softly said. He just frowned, waiting for her to continue. "If the baby I will give birth to is not a monster, I want you to promise me that you will protect it from Voldemort..."

"We won't get to this point, Vess", he shook his head. _Vess_. How she missed the way he called her back in the days when everything was still normal. He loved to call her by that nickname, because if you would read it backwards you would realize that the letters formed his own nickname. _Vess_. _Sev_. How magical. She smiled softly at him and his frown deepened. "And people say you never smile."

"I smile when I want to", she arched one eyebrow. "You are the one who truly never, and I mean _never_ , smile."

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at her. "Maybe because people are infuriating."

"Including me?"

"You're at the top of my list", it was his turn to arch one eyebrow. She chuckled softly and earned one tiny, almost unnoticeable lopsided smile from him. "I was going to ask you...", started hesitantly. "What's the best memory you have of our friendship?"

"Oh...", she put her arms on his lap, casually, tangled them and let her chin rest on them, as if leaning against a window sill. Her eyes were lost in the void and a sweet but gentle smile formed on her face. The memories were so many, some good, some wonderful and some pretty bad. "I think the best memory I have of our friendship was that night at the castle where my cat, Opal, was killed... You had been by my side all night, holding me in your arms. The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, you told me that even death is not capable of killing love. You said it would be the same with us..."

Severus looked away as he brought his left hand to his chin, caressing his lips absentmindedly. That night Vesper mentioned it was clear in the minds of both of them. It happened around the end of the first year and Vesper had collapsed. She loved her cat very much because it was a gift from her mother. Someone had managed to poison her. What a shame.

"What is the best memory you have of our friendship?", she questioned to lighten the mood a bit. She didn't want to think of Opal. 

He turned to look at her and he arched one eyebrow, lowering his hand. "The day you stopped talking to me."

 _Ouch_. Even if it was not true, and Vesper perfectly knew it, still it hurt. It was so strange to see the protective wall circling around him again when the questions needed personal answers. She nodded softly. She intended to pull her arms from his lap but he caught her, holding her wrists in his own hands. She shot up her golden gaze questioningly. 

"The night you slept at my house", he blurted out softly.

Of course, she remembered that night clearly like it happened yesterday. It was the first and the last summer she had spent with him. What a night... Her parents were away on a trip and had left Vesper at home with her grandmother. Vesper was very lucky then. She had managed to persuade her grandmother to let her sleep at a friend's house. Of course it was a lie. She went straight to Severus' neighborhood, which was in another area, and spent an entire day and a whole night with him. His father had not returned home at night. He probably drank his sorrows at a pub. Her gaze fell on their joined hands and her eyes filled with tears. How many years had they lost? How beautiful could their friendship be if she hadn't ruined it all? She turned her wrists and managed to grab his hands. Then she lowered her head and kissed the top of his hands gently. As soon as she looked up at him in tears, Severus couldn't stand it. He bent down and pulled her into his arms so abruptly that Vesper didn't have time to react. Not that she would reject his hug. On the contrary.

And then something had to happen to spoil the beautiful moment between them. The familiar sound of apparition filled the air and Vesper, still in Severus' embrace, spotted Voldemort behind Severus' back. They parted hastily and both stood up, facing the Dark Lord.

"What a touching moment...", he mocked, clapping his hands. Vesper noticed that Nagini was not with him. "Forgive me for what I say, but Vesper, the time has come."

"No...", she stepped back. She was not ready. Hell, she would never be ready for something like that! 

"Yes", he glared at her. "But first, you will marry me."

 ** _What?!_** Severus turned to look at Vesper who stared at Voldemort in pure shock. Why the hell did he need a wedding to plant a baby in her?! Why did he want to tie her up with him? Why the hell did she get so involved?

"Narcissa offered to perform the procedure", he added indifferently. "Go to her room and get ready. Now", he ordered not so nicely. "Severus...", he turned to the Potions professor who was too shocked to comprehend any of this. "You are welcome to watch."

Vesper had enough. She apparated, without saying anything to them, directly to Narcissa's room and found the witch near the double window. She turned around as soon as Vesper appeared in the middle of her room. Narcissa's gaze was as cold as a piece of ice. None of them spoke. A black chiffon dress with black gemstones was on the bed. Vesper realized that the dress was meant for her, as it looked like a gothic wedding dress. She did not have the wand with her, as Voldemort had taken it from her, but she was quite talented with magic and without the wand. She swirled her fingers and the dress levitated from the bed. She snapped her fingers and the next second the nightgown she was wearing was gone and she was dressed in that black wedding gown. 

"Is that all?", she questioned Narcissa coldly.

"No", the woman replied and pulled her wand out of her pocket. She flicked it and a black veil appeared out of nowhere, covering Vesper entirely. She could see underneath it but not easily. "And lastly...", Narcissa mumbled and with another flick of her wand an iron crown with deadly peaks landed on top of Vesper's head. "Now you're ready."

Vesper turned to face herself on the huge mirror Narcissa had placed towards bed and she freaked with the image she saw. Her silver hair reflected the dim light of the room under the black veil, but the crown looked scary on her head. Vesper turned to face Narcissa. "Why did you offer to perform this monstrosity that Voldemort called marriage?"

Narcissa gave her an evil, lopsided grin. "Because you have no idea what he's planning to do during that... _wedding_."

"What do you mean?", Vesper's eyebrows furrowed. She had to admit that that was alarming. 

"The Unbreakable Vow, my dear", Narcissa confessed in a dark tone of voice. 

That took aback Vesper. She had to see that coming. She had to! That's why he needed a wedding. It would not be a normal wedding. It would be the Unbreakable Vow. She had to get away. But how?! How could someone get away from the Dark Lord? Only the deads. She needed help, but she was certain that none of them would help her. Except perhaps Severus but she didn't want to set him in any kind of danger. That would be reckless of her. She had to find a plan. First, she had to escape from the manor. That would be a tricky attempt because she was not allowed to apparate outside of its borders. The perimeter was sealed with strong enchantments. 

"Alright...", Vesper nodded. "Let's get this over with. Take me to the Dark Lord..."

"Acceptance is hard, don't you think?", the pure-blooded witch smirked at her with satisfaction.

"You know that, perfectly well, _my dear_ ", Vesper decided to play her game. "Because you're still trying hard to accept the fact that Lucius will never love you as much as he loved me." 

Vesper watched with wild satisfaction as Narcissa's expressionless face turned enraged. "Do not waste my time, Narcissa. Take me to Voldemort."

The witch said nothing in return. She was furious but kept it to herself. She knew she couldn't confront Vesper. "Follow me", she simply stated and walked out of the room. Vesper followed her close behind. A while later they both entered the Drawing Room. Vesper noticed that Snape was still there with a grim expression on his usual pale face. Their eyes locked for only a second before she turned to Voldemort. Lucius was standing at the corner of the room with his eyes glued on the floor.

"I have a request, my Lord...", Vesper softly said as she stood before him. 

Voldemort offered an ugly smile, showing off his sharp teeth. "Anything, my Heiress", he said, with false sympathy, hidden behind the tone of his voice. "I'm all ears."

 _At least you have ears_ , Vesper thought to herself. "I want to do this by the sea, my Lord. Away from this horrific place", she looked around the dim lit room, then fixated her gaze back to him. 

"That's easy", he nodded. "But no."

She was alarmed. If she couldn't get out of the manor, she could never escape. She had to escape before the Unbreakable Vow! She hastily fell to her knees and lowered her head. Snape was surprised but smart enough to assume that Vesper had a plan. "I beg you my Lord... It's the last request of mine... I am to become the mother of your child... Let me do it by the sea... Please...", she begged successfully. She dared to look up at him but she didn't like what she saw. His face was hard like marble. His expression angry.

"Are you planning to escape??", he hissed at her and she froze. _**Oh, shit, fucking shit...**_


	8. Breathless

_"Are you planning to escape??", he hissed at her and she froze._ **_Oh, shit, fucking shit..._ **

**_***********************_ **

How stupid she was. She had failed to seal her mind before falsely begging him to marry her at sea. That was probably her biggest mistake. Voldemort had managed to read her thoughts successfully. Her gaze met with Snape's anxious gaze. What could she do now? She had to go with the truth. Vesper got up from the floor where she was on her knees and straightened her body, boldly, in front of him. She removed the iron crown and the veil and looked straight into those icy cold eyes of his. 

"What did you expect me to do, Tom?", she questioned in a calm tone of voice. "You really expected me to do that without any protest? How fucking stupid are you??!"

"SILENCE!!", he shouted enraged and closed the distance between them. The next moment his slender hand was around her neck, gripping it tightly. 

"Do it...", she coughed. Her voice came out hoarse due to his tight grip. "You... fucking... coward..." 

The ugly features of his face became even uglier. He was so angry that he could kill her so easily. His icy hand trembled softly around her neck and his sharp teeth hurt his lips from the strong bite. Unexpectedly, he let go of her neck and took a step back. She lost her balance for a while, but quickly regained her composure and effectively sealed her mind from the Dark Lord. She looked at him in wonder. Why did he set her free? She was about to find out soon. He moved so fast and ended up clinging to her, which made Vesper frightened by the approach. His palms, open, between their joined bodies, placed flat on her abdomen. Vesper felt like her body was a piece of iron stuck on a magnet. She could not be pulled back. Her heart sank with grim fear. She felt her bowels stretch and turn, as if a hand were stirring them. It was happening now. Their fiery gazes were buried in each other. Suddenly, Vesper felt a terrible pain, somewhere in the depths of her sensitive area, and then she realized that the seed had been planted. When he pulled his palms from her belly and peeled off her, the pain disappeared.

She automatically put her hands on her belly, staring at him. Her breathing was so fast and her heart rate very high. She couldn't take her eyes off Voldemort's. Narcissa approached them with the wand in her hand. As if hypnotized, Vesper let Voldemort take her hand in his, and then Narcissa, waving her wand around their joined hands, let a silver string wrap around them.

"Will you...", Narcissa turned to Vesper. "...Vesper Mallory, obey the orders of the Dark Lord, protecting his successor from any harm?"

"I will...", she mumbled as a tear rolled down her cheek. 

"And will you deliver the baby to the Dark Lord as soon as he is born?"

Her heart clenched. More tears rolled down her pale face. She had failed. "I will..."

"And will you keep your pregnancy a secret from anyone?"

"I will...", Vesper whispered and the silver string disappeared around their joined hands. 

Voldemort's smug smile made her nauseous. Apparently, it was all over. She had to obey because otherwise she would end up dead, but what she firmly believed was that she would die anyway during the birth. She lowered her gaze to the floor and her vision blurred even more, from the tears that gathered at the edge of her eyes. For the first time in her life she was trapped and it was impossible for her to escape.

"My Lord...", she mumbled with broken voice. "Can I leave the manor? You have nothing to be afraid of now that I took the Unbreakable Vow..."

"Indeed", he responded coldly. "You are bound to me. You can leave the manor. But you are not allowed to go back to your house. You will stay in Severus' house in Spinner's End. Along with him, so he can keep an eye on you."

"He can't...", she mumbled without looking up. "He has to return to Hogwarts..."

"I will invoke a health problem", Snape's voice was trembling but it was also cold. "I can do it, my Lord. We should not trust her on her own. You're very wise, my Lord..."

"Thank you, Severus", Voldemort's joyous voice filled the room. "Take her away now and report to me every morning."

"Of course, my Lord", he said and neared Vesper. "My Lord... We need to apparate."

Voldemort rose his hands, holding his wand and mumbled some enchantments. Afterwards he turned to look at Snape, again. "Go, now."

Vesper felt Severus' hand around her forearm and then the familiar sensation of apparition circled her. She surrendered at once but when they finally appeared at the middle of Snape's living room in Spinners End, Vesper collapsed on the floor. In fractions of a second, Severus' strong arms surrounded her, preventing her body from colliding violently with the hard floor of the living room. She felt so tired that she could not open her eyes, even if she had not completely lost consciousness.

"I will not let anything bad happen to you...", Vesper heard his voice, like a low whisper. She forced herself to take strength from his words and finally open her eyes. Severus's tired face was groaned with wrinkles of sorrow and anxiety. That usual icy expression of indifference that always framed his face was gone. He looked clearly hurt and stressed. He was kneeling on the floor with Vesper between his arms, holding her tightly, as if she were something intangible that would soon disappear. She managed to give him a small, tired, smile.

"I know...", she assured him. "But..."

"But, what?", he focused on her with a worried expression. 

She looked him deep in the eyes. "Severus... If... I say _**if**_ I die during childbirth... No, please, don't look away...", she mumbled. "If I die... you take the baby away from him... I beg you..."

He just nodded with a grim expression on his face. "You should rest now..."

"Yes..."

He lifted her in his arms and carried her upstairs to a room right next to his. The room seemed to be for guests, but it was very neat. Vesper noticed for a few seconds that the walls were dark gray and the single bed was covered with white linen. To the right of the bed was a small, low, wooden nightstand with an oil lamp on top and a tall mirror to the left of the bed. A chair was standing, next to the bed. Severus gently placed Vesper's fragile body over the linen covers, very carefully. She moaned almost silently cause her insides were still hurting. 

"Try to get some sleep", he let out a tired sigh. "I need to go back to Hogwarts and inform Dumbledore. Will you be okay?"

She nodded and got herself comfortable among the covers and the pillows. "Thank you...", she mumbled before falling into a deep slumber with no dreams.

************************************

Hours later, when Vesper finally opened her eyes, outside the only window of the room, absolute darkness prevailed. What time was it? She couldn't say for sure. In the stillness of the house, she suddenly heard a soft noise coming from downstairs. Probably, Severus had returned home. She got up on the bed and her gaze fell on the nightstand, where there was a small bottle containing a transparent liquid. Next to the bottle, there was a small note.

_Drink it. It will ease the pain._

_SS_

She smiled softly at how thoughtful he was and she downed the filter. In the next few seconds the pain literally disappeared and she felt really well and healthy. She got out of bed and approached the mirror. The reflection of herself in the mirror was really scary. Her face was dull, her skin colorless and under her eyes there were purple marks of poor sleep quality. The white tufts of her hair were tangled and she was still wearing the black wedding dress from her ridiculous wedding to Tom. With a deep sigh she decided that it was time for a long bath and so she left the room and went directly to the bathroom. 

She filled the bathtube with hot water, threw in the only shower gel she found on the shelf, next to the bathtub, and she sank into the water with great relief. The shower gel did not smell much, but it was a must for a thorough cleaning. After a while, and when the water had started to get cold, Vesper came out of the bathtub and wrapped herself in a white towel hanging from a shutter, next to the door. Immediately the familiar scent of Severus filled her nostrils. Apparently that towel had been used by him before. The sweet smile that formed on her lips, made her worry about her reaction and immediately drove every thought out of her mind. A soft knock on the door pulled her out of the fantasy land abruptly.

"Yes?", her voice sounded hoarse.

"Are you okay in there?", his deep, velvet voice sounded behind the closed door. 

"Yeah, sure, I'll be out in a second. You want to use the bathroom?"

"There's no need for that, Vesper. I have a bathroom downstairs."

Shit. She had forgotten that. "Oh. Yes. Indeed. I forgot."

"Do you have any clothes with you?", he questioned rather uncomfortably. 

"Ehmm...", her eyes fell on the crumpled and now wet black dress she was wearing before. "Actually, no... I don't."

"I thought so", she literally pictured him rolling his eyes behind the door. "I brought some of your clothes from Hogwarts."

Oh. That was surprising to say the least. She abruptly opened the door wide and made Severus step back in fright. Luckily she still had the towel wrapped around her and Severus was quick to notice. "Well... emm...", he pointed the towel with his index finger. "This towel.. is not... I mean, I have used it before..."

"Yes, I know...", she smirked at him. "I'm okay with that."

Suddenly he glared at her. "Don't act like you are a teenager. I will give you a clean towel right away so you can give me back mine."

Vesper rolled her golden eyes at him. "You act like a teenager with behavioral problems, not me. Chill, it's just a towel."

He stormed past her, in the bathroom and grabbed a clean towel from a closed drawer just below the round mirror that was now dull from the water vapor. He turned around to face her. "Here. Take it."

She suddenly felt so angry and fed up with his behavior that she didn't give her quick reaction a second tought. With a sharp move she pulled the towel around her body and tossed it right on his chest, leaving her body completely naked before his stunned face. It was like he had a stroke or something. Vesper grabbed the clean towel and turned on her heels, gracefully walking back to her room without even covering her body with the towel. She bet that her butt was the only thing that Severus could clearly see as she was walking away. 

She slammed the door behind her and tossed the towel away angrily. She had already regretted the reckless way she had reacted a while before, but there was no way to undo what she had done. Her hair was dripping water on her naked body but she didn't care. She noticed the small suitcase with her clothes under the window, but she was too upset to deal with it. How was it possible for her to show her naked body to her childhood friend? What the hell was she thinking? And why did the smell of Severus stimulated her on the used towel? Was she turned on?! For Merlin's shake, she was! But all thoughts and questions were dispelled in her hazy mind when the door to her room opened abruptly and Severus rushed in with an expression completely different from the usual. He looked angry but also reddened.

Vesper stepped back frightened but Severus was quick enough to capture her wrists in his tight grip. His black, like coal eyes, seemed furious but Vesper could she the fire burning behind them. Her heart skipped a beat. 

"Leave me!! You're hurting me!!", she shouted and gasped as the pain increased around her captured wrists. Severus pulled her close to him but the moment her breasts touched softly the fabric of his dark robes, her breath faded away at once and her vulnerable golden gaze met his. He broke the eye contact soon as his hungry eyes traveled down to her parted lips. Oh, my sweet Merlin, did he intend to kiss her?!


	9. Bleed Out

Vesper's anticipation and anxiety about Severus' possible next moves made her breathe so fast that she felt dizzy. Neither of them spoke. And what would they say? The tight grip around her wrists suddenly relaxed. She swallowed hard, staring into his eyes that still didn't look at her. His black, night-like gaze was still glued to her dry lips. She felt strange. Never before had she felt this way around him.

"You care about me... Don't you?", she murmured softly. Hiw black orbs rose and met her golden ones. The depth of his eyes resembled that of a vast abyss. How to distinguish emotions in there? What if they didn't exist? What if it was all a lie? An illusion of Vesper's need to feel protected? She was so fucking lost. 

The tips of his fingers gently caressed the path from her wrists to her arms. Her bare and exposed skin shuddered spontaneously at his soft touch.

"What is it that I feel?", she whispered with a hidden concern in her soft voice. She needed him to answer this but he just frowned confused. 

"You ask me?", his voice came out soft but at the same time rough from his lips. He suddenly stepped back and turned his back on her. Vesper immediately felt that she was exposed and vulnerable. She never liked that feeling. With quick movements, she grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her. "You should get dressed."

She nodded slowly behind his back. Severus remained silent as he went to the door. There, he remained motionless for a while but soon after he opened the door and left, leaving Vesper alone.

What an awkward situation! The tension between them was so intense and so unbearable. The truth was that in the years that had passed since they were friends, Vesper felt that the she had missed him very much. Nevertheless, she never remembered feeling erotic towards him. Why now? And why does she feel so confused? With a long sigh, she approached the suitcase, opened it, and pulled on a long, black dress and underwear. She got dressed in slow movements, straightened her hair with a non-verbal spell, and then went downstairs to the small living room of the house. Severus was not around. Probably he had gone to bed. She looked at the big clock on the opposite wall and she noticed that it was six o'clock in the morning. Surely she was no longer drowsy. She had slept for many hours already. But what could she do to spend her time? Her gaze fell on Severus' huge library. She knew that her old friend loved to collect rare books, so Vesper approached the library and began looking through the titles of the books. Most of them were books on black magic, filters, and the defense against the dark arts. The tips of her fingers gently caressed the hard skin of the covers, slowly. She always knew that Severus loved the dark arts as much as she did. But what Vesper did not know was that they would both end up getting very involved with the dark arts, endangering their own lives and the lives of others. That was very sad. Especially for them.

Suddenly, her gaze spotted a black book that looked more like a photo album than an encyclopedia volume as someone else might have thought. She pulled it out carefully and confirmed her suspicions. It was indeed a very old photo album. She took it with her as she left the living room and went to the back door of the house, at the end of the long corridor. That door led to a small garden, which was among the adjoining houses, surrounded by walls. It did not resemble a normal garden. The only positive thing was that you could breathe fresh air without leaving the house. It was still raining outside, but that didn't affect Vesper. There was a small shelter under which she could sit in the one and only wooden chair. And so she did.

As soon as she was comfortable, she took the album in her lap and opened it carefully. The smell of old paper hit Vesper's nostrils. All photos were animated, of course. The first photo was a bad memory from Severus' parents. His father, serious and grim, was standing next to a thin girl who was his mother. Vesper clearly remembered his parents. His mother was very nice, but she was always upset and sick. What an unfortunate family. Vesper turned the page. Severus' childish face protruded from the pages, like a poppy among ashes. He was so handsome and weird at the same time. The black tufts of his hair framed a thin, sickly, pale face. His eyes, like a child's, were even darker if that was possible. As she turned the pages, Severus' age increased. Somewhere between the fifth and sixth pages, Vesper froze. Her golden eyes stuck to the cute little girl who hugged Severus. She was none other than herself. The first year of school. They were in Hogwarts courtyard. Her hair was even whiter then. A suspicion of a smile played on Severus' face. But they both seemed happy.

In another photo, she was alone, looking at the black sky with teary eyes. Her head made a repetitive motion. Up, down and to the side, face the camera. That was the day Opal was killed. Many of the photos were with Lily. In some she was alone, in others she was with him. Only in those photos you could see Severus' real smile. Unexpectedly, the album disappeared from her hands and a shocked exclamation escaped her lips. But as soon as she got up from the chair, she managed to see Severus, standing on the doorstep with the album in his hand. She gulped uncomfortably, looking at his marble face. His thin lips tightened, forming a menacing line. He was obviously angry.

"I'm...", she mumbled. "I'm so sorry..."

"We mustn't touch what isn't ours, Vesper!", he shouted enraged. Vesper lowered her gaze, as if reprimanded by her father. She knew very well that Severus did not particularly appreciate the invasion of his personal space. Especially when the invasion took place in his past, which he always struggled to keep away from everyone.

"Forgive me, please...", she murmured, looking up at him very slowly. 

Severus rolled his eyes annoyed. He snapped his fingers and the album disappeared, probably flew back to its place. "Stop making my life a living hell and go to kitchen. I've prepared a meal for you."

Her brows rose in surprise. He did... what?! Severus Tobias Snape had prepared a meal... for her?! That was ridiculous. "Wait a second...", she crossed her arms. "You were not in the kitchen when I went downstairs. Obviously I would have heard noise, if you were there."

Dead silence. Severus seemed like he was considering his next words very carefully. "I... I didn't make it myself. I went out and bought it for you."

"Oh... Thanks, I suppose", she shrugged, still not believing his words, entirely. But she did not care much. She was already too hungry to think about it again. She passed him and went straight to the kitchen. Indeed, there was no smell of food in the air. On the table, however, was a plate of French toast and a glass of milk. Vesper smiled softly. She heard footsteps behind her. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No", he shook his head. "But I'll keep you company."

"Oh, alright", she sat on one chair and pulled the plate in front of her. She started eating quickly, ignoring Severus' persistent gaze. Vesper swallowed and looked up at him. "Sit down, at least. You are like a supervisor, for Merlin's shake."

He moved closer to the table and sat towards her with both his hands on the table. Vesper frowned. What the hell was wrong with him? He seemed particularly worried, even if he was trying to hide it from her.

"Drink your milk, Vesper."

She ignored him as she continued to eat. The truth was that she was very hungry without realizing it. It was probably the baby's fault in her womb. As soon as the baby's thought went through her mind, her stomach tightened. She dropped her fork and took the glass of milk in her hand. She brought it to her lips, but then let it down, turning to look at Severus' weird face that looked pale now. His black orbs rose to meet her golden ones. "Just drink the fucking thing, I beg of you!!", he hissed at her, out of control. 

Vesper's eyes widened in surprise. What the hell? She grabbed the glass of milk and brought it close to her nostrils. It smelled good. She turned her gaze back to him. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Maybe I am...", he pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes tightly, with a long sigh. She grabbed his free hand and squizzed it gently. Severus immediately opened his eyes and looked at her. 

"What is wrong, Sev?"

He looked away and his brows furrowed. "You were right...", he softly said.

"About what?"

"When I went back to Hogwarts to inform Albus, he confirmed your theory about your death during the childbirth..."

Her heart clenched. "I didn't need him to confirm anything. I already knew it, but you were not willing to believe me."

He huffed and his eyes found hers again. "How could I believe something like that? You are not a random person in my life, Vess. Like it or not, you are a part of my life, even if I hate your guts entirely."

"Careful with your words, Severus", she pulled her hand away from his. "Those may be the last things I hear before I die. Shame, isn't it?"

He stood up quickly, grabbing the glass of milk, ready to leave her alone in the kitchen. "Hey!!!", she exclaimed. "Give me the milk back! I'm not finished!"

He turned around before reaching the door and glared at her. "You don't want to drink it, Vesper. I will throw it away!"

"Are you fucking nuts??", she facepalmed herself, glaring daggers at him. "What's the problem with the freaking milk? You act like my father!!"

"You act like a spoiled brat!", he hissed. "I don't want you to drink the milk anymore. So, leave it alone!"

 _By Merlin's beard, he was insane!_ They always came into conflict, very easily, but this time, the whole scene unfolding before her eyes was outrageous. The problem was probably not the milk itself, but his strong desire to be imposed on her in every possible way. Within fractions of a second, Vesper snapped her fingers and the glass disappeared from his hand and appeared right in hers. Severus was clearly alarmed but frozen as well. Vesper did not give herself time to process the fact that Severus looked terrified the moment she started drinking the milk. However, she was fast enough, and the milk had run out before Severus hit the glass to fall out of her hands.

"Damn you, Vesper!!!!", he growled and grabbed her from her shoulders. It was already too late when she realized that the milk was not just milk. She felt a hot liquid run between her legs and quickly lifted the edge of her dress. Blood had soaked her underwear and it was running on her thighs. She turned her frightened gaze to Severus who was standing in front of her, with his hands still on her trembling shoulders.

"What... _what_ have you _**done**_?!", she screamed and tears blurred her vision.

"You just drank the Draught of Reversed Growth...", he mumbled defeated and stepped back.

Oh, Merlin, the baby was surely gone... 


End file.
